Natural dogs health is all about keeping your dog healthy and so preventing disease. Most disease in dogs is a product of their association with us. We have created most of the common diseases in dogs and parvovirus is an excellent example of this.
Parvovirus is a disease of the gastro intestinal tract. As the name suggests, it is a virus and so can be passed from dog to dog, on one condition. It is only in immune compromised dogs that this condition will create havoc.
Typical symptoms of parvovirus are fever, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhoea (and so dehydration), lethargy, bloody stool, a foul stool and occasionally a heart condition. Mostly the very young are affected, although it can happen in old dogs. Veterinary tests can be inconclusive.
Veterinary prognosis is dire. Most dogs die, especially the puppies. Treatment is simply to do something, but can result in further compromising the immune system, making recovery less likely.
Young puppies and dogs are invariably immune compromised. The best immunity at this age comes from mother’s milk. But puppies are usually weaned at too young an age. Bitches will allow their puppies to suckle for many months, even when they are eating normally. This ensures a smooth transition to a healthy immune system.
Parvovirus is a direct result of distemper vaccination. The distemper virus has mutated to a much stronger and more virulent virus because of the vaccine. This means that although vaccination appears to offer protection against an illness, it does so by creating something worse. And vaccinations also compromise the immune system, rather than boosting it, as it commonly believed.
If a dog does survive a bout of parvo, they can remain weak and are much more susceptible to contracting distemper.
It is probably only with homeopathic treatment that there is real hope for your dog to pull through this serious disease.
There are three things you can do to prevent parvovius in your dog (or next dog).
First, if it is possible, allow the dog to remain with the mother for as long as possible. This may not be possible for most people.
Second, make sure your dog’s immune system is kept in the best shape possible by feeding a quality, natural diet. This is probably the most important action to take.
Third, try to use natural therapies, especially homeopathy, rather than veterinary drugs. Natural therapies work by raising the immune system. Drugs work by lowering it and suppressing the symptoms. They are also all liver toxic.
Other healthy measures include keeping your dog well exercised, having a companion (you all day, another dog or any other animal), understanding the dog hierarchy and bringing it into practice, and keeping your own health well balanced.
